We are rich. Not by large bank accounts or monetary possessions. We are rich with family, friends, employers and those people who have come into our lives for the very first time.
Before my lymph node surgery, Andy and Louise were kind enough to send us to San Diego for a few days of mental downtime. It was well needed for clarity. Rich and I spent the days walking La Jolla beaches and listening to the seals. Relaxing on Mission beach watching the dolphins in the distance. Ocean breezes clean the soul. We walked the street fair in downtown Little Italy. No time restrictions, no doctors to call...at least for a few days.
While sitting on Mission Beach, a couple placed their blanket down in front of us. She had a bandanna on her head and he had a pink ribbon bracelet on his wrist. "What are the odds in 50 miles of beach!", I thought to myself. We struck up conversation. She was 25 years old, avid runner, fitness guru. Doctors thought she pulled a muscle in her upper thigh. Cancer had spread from her breast to her lungs to her lymph nodes all down her leg. Her chemo regimen was something I could never even imagine. I was rich, to share stories with a perfect stranger and a conversation I will never forget.
Our employers have been so supportive, time off, food deliveries and just phone calls. It means the world to us.
Women I once gave advise to are now calling me to check in. I am taking new drugs, so side effects are different. We exchange notes, complaints and tears. There is no easy way through it. We have come full circle...once again.
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